A Family Meal
by Asphalt Angel
Summary: The best thing to do with adult wizards is tame them with kindness and gourmet cuisine.


Title: A Family Meal

Warnings: Spoilers for _Deep Wizardry_

Disclaimer: I didn't make the 'verse. I'm just playing in it for a while.

Notes: "The best thing to do with adult wizards is tame them with kindness and gourmet cuisine." -from _High Wizardry_

* * *

Betty Callahan meets the adult wizards the day that her family gets home from their vacation. Nita tells her that the two men live just over on Rose Ave, and she's startled that they've been so close this entire time, and decides she had better do what's neighborly; she asks for their phone number and invites them to dinner.

It's rather obvious that her daughter wants to see them, after all, and really, she ought to know more about them if they're going to be so important in Nita's life. The part of her that hasn't accepted all of this quite yet is telling her that they could be criminals, or con artists, or perverts…

"You'll like them, Mom," Nita says quietly. "They're really good people."

Betty wonders if reading minds is something wizards can do, or if it's just the look on her face that's giving her away.

"We'll have a cookout," Harry announces, clapping his hands together. "If we do burgers and hotdogs, there'll be enough to feed everyone."

"Does that include me?" Kit asks hopefully. He's at that age where he can never get enough to eat.

Betty tells him that, of course, he's welcome to stay as long as his parents don't mind getting him back a little later than planned. He calls them to get permission, and she's suddenly very jealous of the Rodriguez family for being unaware of what went on at the beach.

She's gotten just enough of the story from the kids to wish she hadn't asked. There was something about a Song, and a battle, and a shark dying- and for some reason Nita was very upset about that part.

Maybe, Betty thinks, if these adult wizards are such good people, they can offer her some advice on how to talk to her daughter about this sort of thing. She's realized she can handle conversations about boys, and hormones- and even sex!- but this is a bit overwhelming.

"I'm going to get ice cream," Dairine says abruptly. Then, as an afterthought- "Okay?" She isn't scowling yet, but she will be if she's not allowed to go.

Harry obligingly pulls some money out of his wallet because sometimes Dairine is a force better not reckoned with. She didn't get much attention at the beach, what with all the worrying over Kit and Nita, and now she's moody.

It doesn't help, Betty thinks, that all Dairine's ever wanted to be is a superhero of some kind- and now her sister seems to have become one.

It's just then that the doorbell rings.

"That'll be Tom and Carl," says Nita, and she hurries to let them in.

Betty follows, nervously patting at her hair as she goes. She half-expects to find two white-bearded Merlins, complete with wands and pointed hats, waiting on her doorstep. Instead, they are perfectly ordinary: tall, dark-haired, dime-a-dozen young men.

The one with the moustache drops to his knees as Nita throws her arms around him, and Betty hears him saying that he's so proud, so proud…

"Well, that's uncharacteristically demonstrative," the other man remarks. He smiles politely and holds out his hand. "You must be Betty. We spoke on the phone- and thank you for inviting us. Tom Swale."

The name sounds vaguely familiar. Betty shakes hands, trying to place it, and behind her Dairine bursts out, "But you don't look old!"

"Dari," Betty scolds. "Don't be rude."

"It's quite all right," Tom says with a chuckle. "She's just referencing a nick name the neighborhood kids have given me. Old Crazy Swale. I don't mind it. Keeps them away from the house while I'm working."

"Working is a term used loosely here," the other man, Carl, says dryly. Nita's let him out of her chokehold embrace, and they're standing side by side now.

"Are you…full-time wizards, then?" Betty asks. She's heard the neighborhood kids, including her own, talk about the funny things that happen at Crazy Swale's house.

Tom hesitates. "Technically, all wizards are full-time. But I was referring to, let's say, my more typical occupation."

"Tom's a writer," Nita puts in, "and Carl works for a television station." Betty can hear the point behind the words- see, Mom, they're normal, responsible adults with jobs and everything.

"Ice cream," Dairine cuts in abruptly, shoving past everyone on her way to get her bike.

"Don't get strawberry, Runt!" Nita calls after her, and her sister ignores it.

"I think we're a little too boring for her," Tom remarks, and Betty thinks- though it would be impolite to say- that he's probably right. Knowing Dairine, she was likely expecting more excitement from a pair of grown-up wizards.

"Hey," Kit calls from the depths of the kitchen. "Aren't you all coming back here?"

Betty flutters her hands apologetically. "Oh! Of course, please, come in." She ushers them all into the house. "Ignore the bags- we're just back and all, but you knew that."

"You should see our place sometime," Carl says, giving his partner a pointed look.

"Right," Tom agrees with a chuckle, "Living room's covered in my research right now."

Betty does her best not to picture eye of newt and toe of frog strewn across the furniture. "Harry!" she calls to her husband. "Company's here."

"All right, I'm coming!" he calls back. "Just let me finish putting this on…"

"He's just making some burgers and hotdogs," Betty explains, hoping that neither of their guests is a vegetarian- surely, Nita would have said something if that was the case…

She's relieved when Tom grins hugely and says, "That's great for us. We haven't had a good cookout since Carl here broke the grill."

"It was not my fault," the other man grumbles. "Damn thing was possessed-"

"By an agent of the Lone Power?" Kit cuts in.

"Not funny," Nita tells him.

And Betty realizes she's been put out of the conversation, that it's now a thing of… wizards. "Nita," she says, wanting to break the moment. "Set the table, would you?"

Her daughter obediently goes to one of the cabinets to get the dishes. She's tall enough to reach it now, and it seems like just last week that she wasn't. But does it even matter anymore, an ordinary thing like that, when she can also say a few words, scratch some symbols in the dirt, and land them all on the moon?

Nita turns with a stack of plates in her hands, trips, and-

Betty braces herself for the crash that never comes.

The plates all freeze in midair, inches above the ground. She notices that Tom is pointing at them, all five fingers extended, and somehow the simple gesture is more frightening to her than all of Kit and Nita's words and symbols.

He flicks his hand, and the plates stack themselves up neatly in Nita's hands again.

"Hey, nice save!" Kit says, grinning.

"Yeah, thanks, Tom," Nita agrees, hastily setting the plates down on the table to prevent any further mishaps.

Betty just stares.

It's at that moment that Harry comes in, and she gives him an exasperated look because their guests have just been doing magic- in her kitchen!

But, of course, he isn't paying attention to her. He's got his arms folded and his best Intimidating Father look on, sizing up their two guests. He'll go on like that for a while, she knows, but Harry's the type of person who likes everybody- it's in his nature.

Tom extends the same hand he used to rescue the dishes, introduces himself and his partner, and comments on the gardens- which does the trick immediately. Harry beams, and they strike up a conversation like old friends.

Betty shakes her head and goes to get the silverware. Unsurprisingly, Nita's forgotten about the dinner table; she's listening to her father talk to the wizards, and it's all over her face how relieved she is that they aren't shouting.

Betty lays down forks and knives with one ear turned to listen.

"Carl, you said your last name was Romeo?" Harry's asking. "By any chance, did your family own a bakery over in Brooklyn?"

"You must mean my parents' old place," Carl says quickly. His tone is polite, but there's a hint of stress there where it shouldn't be.

Betty glances up, sees the discomfort in his eyes, and it occurs to her that she and Harry are not the only parents who have had to hear the news that their child is a wizard.

Harry doesn't pick up on it. "I'll tell you, I sure was sad to see it go," he says with enthusiasm. "Before the flower shop really took off over here, I was traveling all over the city for work- earning some extra cash here and there, you know? It was so good to stop in at that place for a coffee and a little something sweet on the way home. You tell your mom and dad that for me, all right?"

"Sure. They'll… be happy to hear it." Carl still sounds polite, and he's even smiling, but Tom's giving him a look that's all sympathy and apology.

"Harry," Betty says. "Why don't you show everyone out to the porch for a while? I'm going to see what I can find in the refrigerator to add to our meal." She pointedly turns to do just that, watching out of the corner of her eye as they begin to file away.

Tom lingers, waiting till the others have gone. "Thank you," he says when they're alone. "For the diversion, that is. Carl and his family… I'll just say their relationship has been a bit strained over the years."

Betty presses her lips together, telling herself she isn't going to pry, but one question escapes anyway, "Is it because he's a wizard?"

Tom hesitates, then gives a quick nod. "I think they figured he'd made a pact with the Devil-" and Betty winces because she'd thought the same thing about Kit and Nita, at first- "and they've been slow to embrace the reality of wizardry. It simply doesn't fit with their worldview." He shrugs, and looks toward the porch where Carl's drinking lemonade with the kids. "To be fair to them, they are trying, but it's rough on him that it's taking so long."

Because she's a mother, Betty's heart goes out at that. She may be worried about her daughter, and she's definitely still taken aback by all of this, but there's no doubt in her mind that she's going to be there when Nita needs her.

Tom's watching her- judging her reaction, she thinks, seeing the faint hint of approval in his eyes- as he speaks again, "The Manual- the book you've probably seen your daughter carrying- encourages wizards to talk to their families about what they're doing because lying is counterproductive to our cause. And because, doing what we do, it's nice to have as much support as possible."

"How does your family feel about… all of this?" Betty asks. She goes back to the fridge, grabs a bag of french fries from the freezer, shakes them out onto a baking sheet and puts them into the oven. It's easier to have a conversation about wizards in the family while doing something so ordinary.

"My folks think I work too hard, and wish I'd visit them more often," Tom says, grinning, and she gets the point in the normalcy of that response- something any parent might say about an adult child. "More seriously, though," Tom adds, "I'm lucky in that wizardry is… well. It's rather expected amongst us. Of course, my mother assures me that I still gave her gray hairs on many occasions, especially early on."

The words 'early on' catch Betty's attention, and she has to press him, "Are you sure that Nita and Kit are ready? I know they're both mature, and that they understand the choice they've made, but... They're just so young. Is that always how it is?"

Tom nods. "Wizards have to be old enough to understand the Oath, of course, but the younger they are, the more firepower they'll have. Carl started when he was about Nita's age, and I'd just turned eleven when I-" There's a suspicious thud in the hall, and he frowns.

Betty has a feeling she knows what it is- and wishes it wasn't. "It's rude to eavesdrop, Dairine. Come on out here."

Her younger daughter slowly trudges into the kitchen, holding a rather melted box of ice cream, which Betty takes and puts in the freezer in hopes of saving.

"I'm eleven," Dairine announces to Tom, and her eyes are wide and hopeful behind her glasses. "In case you didn't know."

Betty almost forgets to breathe, wondering if Tom's going to say that Dairine can be a wizard, too, then, if she wants to. That's clearly what she wants him to say.

But all he does is give her an amiable nod. "I do know that, in fact."

A range of emotions pass over Dairine's face- excitement, confusion, frustration, doubt- before she splutters, "Well, so- but- I-"

"I can't make you a wizard, Dairine," Tom says frankly, and Betty watches her daughter's face fall completely. Meanwhile, she practically slumps against the counter in relief.

"Fine," Dairine mutters, "I'll do it myself, then." She gives Tom a defiant scowl as she passes, going to join the others outside.

"She's got enough spirit for it," Tom muses, tapping his fingers against his chin.

"Oh, no," Betty says without meaning to. The thought of having two magic-wielding daughters is more than she can take right now- and Dairine is enough of a handful already.

Tom's expression suggests he understands her concern. "I meant what I told her, of course, about not being able to make her a wizard. I'm sure Nita's told you that we're not in charge, Carl and I. Our role, as far as younger wizards are concerned, is merely to give advice and support."

"Yes, she told us that," Betty says, remembering how her daughter's temper flared when Harry had demanded to know why- if they were so good- the adult wizards would choose send children to fight their battles for them.

The oven pings, and she goes to take the french fries out, setting them on the table.

Tom goes on speaking, "That said, I also can't stop Dairine from becoming a wizard if it is offered to her. It will be her choice, and only hers. And I should tell you that wizard siblings aren't uncommon."

It would be too much, Betty thinks. "Why would your Powers-" she tries out the word she's heard Kit and Nita use, and sees Tom's affirming nod- "why would your Powers ever think that's a good idea?" She can't imagine the stress, the worry, if both her daughters suddenly vanished with that horrid banging sound, off to save the world.

"It's like I've been telling you," Tom says. "Having family helps…" He's looking out the window again, at Carl, and Betty sees what he doesn't bother to hide in his expression- _I am his family now, and sometimes I wish that there were more of me_- and he smiles. "Being loved helps."

Well, Betty thinks, she can probably handle that. "Thank you," she says, "for talking to me."

"Anytime," Tom answers, "and it goes for Carl, too. Especially if you plan to keep feeding us like this."

It's then that Harry comes in, triumphantly carrying a large plate of hamburgers and hotdogs, with the others trailing behind him.

Betty wonders if Tom's timing is coincidental or not, but when she catches his eye, he simply gives her one more reassuring smile, then goes to sit beside his partner. Nita scoots around them to get the condiments, making faces at her sister's demand for mayonnaise, and telling Kit over her shoulder that he can take two of everything- no worry about being so polite.

A family meal, Betty remembers her mother saying, is one in which no one has to stand on ceremony, and one that is served with love. She watches Kit follow Nita's advice and eagerly grab for the hotdogs, watches Carl steal the French fries Tom's just taken for himself, and thinks that her mother was right.

This is a family meal.


End file.
